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Simple Gifts reel

Also known as Lord Of The Dance.

There are 5 recordings of this tune.

Simple Gifts has been added to 6 tune sets.

Simple Gifts has been added to 66 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Simple Gifts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D2|G2GA BGBc|d2dc B2AG|A2AG A2AG|ABAF D2D2|
GFGA BGBc|d2dc B2AG|A2AG AB2A|G2ED G4||
d4 B2BA|BcBA G2GA|BGBc d2cB|A2AB A2D2|
GFGA BGBc|d2dc B2AG|A2AG AB2A|G2ED G4||
2
X: 2
T: Simple Gifts
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Cmaj
|c2cd ecef|g2gg e2dc|d2d2 d2d2|dedB G2G2|
cBcd e2dd|e2f2 g3g|d2de d2cc|d2cB c4|
g4 e3d|efed c3d|e2ef g2e2|d2de d3G|
c4 c3d|e2ef g2gg|d2d2 e2ed|c2c2 c4||

Nine comments

Originally a Shaker song in Cmajor by Elder Joseph Brackett, later adapted to Sydney Carter’s “Lord of the Dance” song. Now used in Michael Flatley’s The Lord of the Dance, from where it’s usually known.

Here is the original Cmajor form:

X:1
T:Simple Gifts
M:4/4
R:Reel
C:Elder Joseph Brackett
K:C
|c2cd ecef|g2gg e2dc|d2d2 d2d2|dedB G2G2|
|cBcd e2dd|e2f2 g3g|d2de d2cc|d2cB c4|
|g4 e3d|efed c3d|e2ef g2e2|d2de d3G|
|c4 c3d|e2ef g2gg|d2d2 e2ed|c2c2 c4||

Reely?

Im not one to get over categorical about these things but… this a reel?

I’m not entirely sure, but it is in 4/4, and hornpipe doesn’t quite seem right.

A popular shaker hymn. Also the tune to Lord of the Dance. I thought of posting it after watching the dancing monkey video but decided against it.

Tis a gift to be simple…(maybe true)

Lord of the Dance

Needs to be put in context with this link
https://thesession.org/tunes/7844
your contribution ‘JosephofCK’ would have been useful as an add-on to comments relating to ‘LOTD’
It’s a song tune but I suppose if you want a catagory by which to submit it then ‘Reel’ seems about right even though it isn’t one. NBut you could play it as either a reel or a hornpipe if you wish.

Posted by .

This site really needs an update.

Ah, I never noticed those posts. Never really thought of it being a polka somehow… I heard it originally played a lot slower than they have it in the show, and I found it to be much prettier that way.

Its a reel

IT IS A REEL
we dance this reel at my ID school a bunch.
watch an LOTD vid on youtube.

Re: Simple Gifts

This reel seems much more like the familiar Shaker tune. Have tried to decipher “Simple Gifts” as a jig (qv on TheSession) but I find it somewhat weird as notated. Is it meant to be the same tune?